Bookkeeper salary in Louisville, KY-IN
Louisville pays bookkeepers more than Kentucky as a whole but less than the country. The median is $47,990 a year1: 3.1% above the Kentucky statewide median of $46,550 and 5.3% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #236 of 521. With about 7,730 bookkeepers, no area in Kentucky employs more.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Louisville against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | $30,360 | $47,990 | $69,850 | |
| Kentucky | $30,090 | $46,550 | $66,930 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $69,850 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of bookkeepers in Louisville earns $39,210–$57,520. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $18,310 wide, between the figure for Kentucky ($19,160) and the US figure ($17,950).
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,360 | $2,530 | $14.60 | $39,174 |
| 25th percentile | $39,210 | $3,268 | $18.85 | $50,594 |
| Median | $47,990 | $3,999 | $23.07 | $61,923 |
| 75th percentile | $57,520 | $4,793 | $27.65 | $74,219 |
| 90th percentile | $69,850 | $5,821 | $33.58 | $90,129 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,530 a year in pay and about $12,297 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,780 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Louisville, and the Kentucky statewide median of $46,550 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Louisville
At the $47,990 median, a local hire costs about $61,923 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,933 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for bookkeepers we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Louisville
Of the 17 roles we track in Louisville, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($48,870) and administrative assistants ($47,090). Project Coordinator is the highest at $82,660.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +13.8% | 600 | |
| HR Assistant | +1.8% | 400 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 7,730 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.9% | 4,770 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -7.4% | 7,910 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Louisville (-5.3%), between HR assistants (-3.4%) and recruiters (-5.3%). The typical role here is at -5.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 11.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Louisville, 11.8% across Kentucky and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $41,360 in the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area to $48,000 in Lexington-Fayette, a gap of $6,640 a year. No other area in Kentucky has as many bookkeepers, and 8 of the other 9 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Louisville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | +0.0% | 3,120 | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | this area | 7,730 | |
| Owensboro, KY | -3.3% | 560 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -3.5% | 610 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -8.0% | 900 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -8.1% | 1,690 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -8.7% | 560 |
Louisville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Louisville is #36 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Kentucky, Honolulu and Kalamazoo-Portage pay just above Louisville and Ames and El Centro just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in Louisville. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Louisville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA | +37.8% | 7,590 | jobs | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +11.6% | 8,540 | jobs | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +4.6% | 7,550 | jobs | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +0.1% | 1,040 | pay | |
| Honolulu, HI | +0.1% | 3,590 | pay | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | this area | 7,730 | ||
| Ames, IA | -0.0% | 470 | pay | |
| El Centro, CA | -0.1% | 530 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Louisville, KY-IN?
About $61,923 a year at the median, or $5,160 a month: $47,990 in pay plus about $13,933 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Louisville?
The median was $47,990 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,360, the 90th $69,850, and the middle half earned $39,210 to $57,520.
Is Louisville cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for bookkeepers?
No, it costs more: a median of $47,990 against $46,550 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Lexington-Fayette at $48,000, the next down Owensboro at $46,430.
How many bookkeepers work in Louisville?
BLS counts about 7,730 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Kentucky has as many.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Louisville?
Yes: $900 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,990 and $47,090.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.